How its Supposed to Be
by WindlessHarmony
Summary: A short story between Toby and Zeo. Hope you enjoy. Might be a tad OOC.


Toby knows that he isn't going to be alive long. He knows that no matter what anyone does, the disease he has will never fully be cured. And he also knows that the concern in Zeo's eyes isn't just because he'll lose a friend; he'll lose his lover as well.

It was before they met Masamune that it started, their little love affair. It is why they are best friends during the day, when the others are around to watch them. It is also why they are lovers at night, where the memories they create are for them and them alone. The only reason they befriend the strange black and white haired boy is to keep up the facade that they are just friends.

Toby is scared when the first attack happens; he knows that this has happened to his great-grandfather and his father before him. But they all thought it leaked from the family line when his grandfather and his own dad failed to show signs of it. He is alone now, his mother and father gone. That is why he clings to Zeo and Masamune; they are his crutch to get him through the day.

He remembers their first time together, when Zeo first advanced upon him. Toby remembers it all in detail, how Zeo took him in the storage closet of their gym. He thinks of how the fox-haired individual handled him gently, almost as if he was a fine china that would break if pressed too hard. Zeo whispered delightful words that were completely forgotten to him at the time and even now he doesn't remember them. Toby arched forwards against the other as they made love into the dim hours of dawn, managing to finish before their teacher opened up the gym. He remembers how hard it was for them to train that day.

He also remembers the day that Zeo took him inside of their bey stadium. Toby loved the way their bodies meshed together roughly, tangling in the inverted dome in such a lovely way. He still wears the bite mark that Zeo applied to his right shoulder, insisting that it's just a beyblading scar or a birthmark. And Toby certainly remembers how shocked everyone was to see the stadium stained with white; their teacher dismissed it as glue but Toby and Zeo were pretty sure he knew what it really was.

Toby remembers all of the other times as well; the shower, the park, even the basketball court they used to train in. He figured that Zeo got off on public nudity and he couldn't deny that he did as well; the other had always rubbed off on him, in more ways than one.

Toby remembers when they first invited Masamune to join him. The other had been so reluctant, afraid that their friendship would be tainted. Not only had he wanted more, they had all become regular lovers.

He often goes over the whole experience in his mind. Masamune had a peculiar fetish; bondage. It was when the two of them decided to use it for the first time. Toby remembers how Zeo and Masamune tied him to the bed, fucking him until he couldn't think, both moving at different speeds inside of him. He remembers the pain that accompanied the pleasure as Zeo switched the roles, locking Masamune immobile across their kitchen table and ramming him hard enough to make the other pass out. Toby insisted on getting a new table but nothing had ever changed in their shared household. They were going to try it again the next night.

But then his disease had manifested for the first time, during one of their training sessions. Masamune and Zeo had been there for him, eager to complete their dream of being number one. He had always been the strong one in their eyes but the truth was, he was terrified. Toby knew that Zeo would be afraid as well, even if he didn't show it. But Toby knows that the two people he loves will always be the strong ones; they will never falter and they will certainly never let him cry.

He doesn't argue when Masamune says he's going to fulfill their goal. But he does feel anger and a deep despair when the black and white haired boy, the one he was so fond of, vanishes to Japan. Toby cries when he feels the pain in his chest while watching him with team GanGan Galaxy. He weeps when he sees the love and fondness that he holds for his new leader, Ginga Hagane.

His life suddenly becomes bright when Masamune comes to visit him. Toby hopes that one day they can become how they were in the past again, friends and lovers. But the Zeo that he knows now doesn't want Masamune back; no, Zeo wants to hurt Masamune just how he has hurt Toby.

Toby waits for days for Zeo to visit; he cries when he never shows up. His disease attacks him again and he wakes to the teary eyes of his lover and he himself begins to cry. Both of them cling to each other until well into the night, Toby falling asleep as his body becomes exhausted.

The next time he wakes, Zeo is gone again. Toby only feels empty; he knows he doesn't have long. No, of course not. He heard the doctors; if he suffers another attack, he's not going to be able to pull through it. But something does feel different.

When the nurse turns on the TV, he suddenly realizes why. The beyblade tournament is being re-runned; what he is seeing has already happened. His beloved is glowing a bright blue and Toby nearly wants to cry again. Zeo's eyes are absolutely rabid, anger sparked through his gaze as he faces Masamune. His heart breaks as he realizes that his best friends, the two people he's clung to since the beginning, are fighting to either kill each other or fight until one cannot fight anymore.

The tears roll down his cheeks as the screen leaves Masamune broken on the ground and Zeo, with that crazed look in his eyes, passed out on the stadium floor. He doesn't hear the audio; no, the only sound in his ears is the pounding of his heart. Toby cries until he runs out of tears and then settles for staring at the ceiling.

The door creaks open, swinging on its hinges as Zeo stumbles in, using a crutch to stand up. Toby runs his arm over his eyes to erase the excess water lying there. Zeo closes the door and stumbles forward, dropping his crutch to the floor.

They stare at each other for a moment before Zeo slides onto the bed, Toby wrapping his arms around the shivering form as the other cries into his shoulder. The room is quiet except for the sniffling and occasional shuffle of fabric.

"You went crazy," Toby whispers, running his fingers through the tri-colored hair at his fingertips. "You could've killed Masamune." Zeo's breathing is riddled with whimpers but Toby's is even, clearer than it has been in quite a long time.

"It was either that or let you die. They forced me to choose; either win and get your treatment or lose and your lifeline be cut." Toby feels the tears well in his eyes; Dr. Ziggurat has manipulated his friend and turned him into a soulless blader.

"I'm sorry, Toby. Can you forgive me?" Zeo has asked this so many times that he doesn't even feel the need to apologize anymore; the other has received his forgiveness too many times. "Toby, they've begun to treat you. You'll be cured in a few months and then you can leave again." But this was something new. Toby didn't find it funny.

"Don't play tricks on me, Zeo, especially something as cruel as this." He knows that his voice is harsh but he is angry. Maybe he always has been, angry that Zeo cannot see what he truly wants or what he truly needs. Enraged because Zeo swore a grudge that never existed against their love triangle.

Maybe it all started the day they met. Toby remembers how anxious they had been to fight one another. And when it was finally over, leaving Toby as the winner, he hated the way that Zeo treated him. That smile on his face, grinning like he had just become the world champion. He remembers the comment as well; _"You just lost. Why are you so happy?" _

_"Because I didn't lose. I let you beat me."_ And then they had fought, not a bey battle, but a real fight. Toby guesses that this is the reason he had begun to hate his lover all that time ago. But he also knows that this is what led them to become who they are now.

Maybe Toby has always been like this, angry that Zeo treats him like a slow child that needs to be led through life on a chain, an action that certainly doesn't deserve to be forgiven. But for now, he will receive the fox-haired boy sprawled across his chest; after all, he is the only kind person left in his life.

"I'm not tricking you, Toby; I'm serious. Dr. Ziggurat says that your disease is treatable and now he's paying for you to be cured. I . . . I don't know what I'd do if you left me here . . ." The last of his words are a whisper, one that Toby has to strain to hear. ". . . . I forgive you, Zeo," Toby says quietly, feeling the other shudder against him.

"I love you, Toby. I don't want to lose you and I won't let anything, not even Dr. Ziggurat, take you away from me." The boy smiles and tightens his arms around Zeo's body, the tears welling up in his eyes yet again. "I love you too, Zeo, and I'm not going anywhere."

Toby knows that he isn't going to be alive long. But now he knows that he'll pass away much later in life, with the person he loves right there at his side.

**Hope you guys enjoyed! I really enjoyed writing about this pairing, even if some of the things don't quite add up. Plus, I am enjoying this new writing style.**

**Review if you want! :D -Canta**


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